Over the years, there have been many different types of games. These have ranged the gamut from those involving great mental prowess to games involving merely chance. Nevertheless, there is still a strong interest in game concepts that create real excitement.
More specifically, with many games the players are placed in the position of passive observers. This is actually most true of the most expensive games that employ electronic components and the like which may or may not involve any skill on the part of the player. Still further, the game development is almost always viewed as unrealistic at best.
Because of this fact, such expensive games are often difficult to market and discarded after minimal play even when purchased by the consumer. Moreover, even when use continues, such games have consistently lacked any relationship to the excitement as well as the strategy and planning that should be the characteristic of any game. While it is generally recognized that decision making in game play is of paramount importance, there has yet to be a game that places players in a realistic decision making capacity.
One game of continued interest over the years is tic-tac-toe. As a result, while the game of tic-tac-toe is interesting, players oftentimes have become bored with continued play thereof.
There have been a number of electrical and mechanical versions of the game of tic-tac-toe designed for either solitary play or play between two players. In addition, electronic tic-tac-toe games are also known which allow a player to compete against a computer programmed to play tic-tac-toe. Such electronic tic-tac-toe games are also available in hand held units utilizing an integrated circuit device known as a microprocessor as the computer.
Everyone is familiar with tic-tac-toe. The game is played between two players who alternately select "X's" or "O's" to be placed in one of the nine boxes formed by two parallel lines intersecting at right angles with two other parallel lines intersecting at right angles with two other parallel lines. The first player begins play by placing an "X" in one of the nine boxes, and the second player places an "O" in another one of the nine boxes. The players continue to alternately place "X's" or "O's" in the array of nine boxes and one of the players may win by placing three of his symbols in one of the three vertical columns, one of the three horizontal rows, or along one of the two diagonals. The game may also end in a draw if neither one of the two players is able to win in the manner described above.
The main advantages of tic-tac-toe are that it is easy to learn, fun, and can be played virtually anywhere. However, it also has a disadvantage that it has limited variations. In fact, if both players are familiar with the game, it is common to continually reach a draw. Because of this interest in tic-tac-toe, there have been many attempts to make the game more interesting and exciting, thereby reducing the inherent disadvantages of the game.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,813,681 illustrates a game 10 including a plurality of playing markers 12 adapted to be arranged in rows 14 and columns 16 (FIG. 1). The playing markers include four playing markers having a first indicia thereon, four playing markers having a second indicia thereon, and a single playing marker having both a first and a second indicia thereon. The playing markers are adapted for random distribution in equal numbers to a pair of players with the remaining playing markers defining a starting point on space 24 in placement area 22. A player places a playing marker in non-diagonal adjacent relation to a previously placed playing marker with the playing markers being placed in turn by the players in like fashion to form the rows and columns. With this arrangement, the rows and columns are each limited to a total of three playing markers arranged in a generally rectangular array. The game winner is the player to be the first with a corresponding first or second indicia on the playing markers disposed in a row, a column or diagonally.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,684,136 describes a game apparatus 10a consisting of nine tic-tac-toe arrangements 12a (FIG. 2). Two teams answer questions 32a until three tic-tac-toe arrangements are won in a vertical, horizontal or diagonal row to completely win the game. Each playing piece 16a is placed into aperture 18a on playing board 12a when question 32a is answered correctly.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,275,442 describes an electronic tic-tac-toe game 10b that includes a display board 12b having a tic-tac-toe array 14b printed on the display (FIG. 3). The tic-tac-toe game 10b controls the electronic display of the selected "X's" 16b and "O's" 18b on display board 12b. A game mode select switch 30b enables the game 10b to be played in the solitary mode of operation against a microprocessor programmed to play tic-tac-toe, or in a dual mode of operation between two players. In the dual mode of operation, players may electronically select their game symbols which then appear in player displays 20b and 22b. A switch 28b enables the microprocessor to control the time allotted for the microprocessor to select a move in the solitary mode of operation or to limit the time the opposing player has to move in the dual mode of operation. Microprocessor accumulates the wins for each player and displays these wins in total wins displays 24b and 26b.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,248,149 relates to a method of playing tic-tac-toe using cards 1 and a playing grid 3 of at least three by three with spaces 3a to accommodate a card (FIG. 4). The cards have at least two different types of indicia, for example, X's 5 and O's 7. A first player draws a card from a deck of such cards and designates the type of card drawn as his type of card. The first player then places this card in an unused space in the grid. The second player then draws a card from the deck. If it is the same type as that designated for the first player, the second player discards it such as by placing it on top of the card which has already been played. If the card selected by the second player is of a different type from that designated for the first player, the second player places it in any unused space in the grid. In a preferred embodiment, the deck also includes cards which when played on top of any other card renders the space unused. According to this game, players are permitted to place a card on the tic-tac-toe board when the indicia on the card matches each players designated indicia. Thus, there is no significant strategy added to the standard tic-tac-toe, and this game merely introduces an additional element of luck.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,770,273 describes a game of skill which in one form simulates tic-tac-toe (FIG. 5). The game includes a self-supporting frame 16c for removably lodging a plurality of indicia-bearing playing cubes 12c above a playing surface 14c. A tethered striker ball 18c is mounted above the playing surface and is adjustable in height with respect thereto for dislodging the playing cubes 12c from the frame 16c by impact-transfer between the striker ball 18c and the playing cubes 12c. Players, in turn, use the tethered ball to dislodge the playing cubes which are then reinserted into the frame, the object being the formation of a row or pattern of player-chosen indicia.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,318,307 relates to a game of skill and strategy that can be played on almost any surfaces (grass, sand, water, cement, etc.), indoors as well as outdoors (FIG. 6). This game shows some resemblance with "tic-tac-toe". The game comprises a reception frame 10d divided into nine squares 14d and four groups of disks, e.g., 22d, 24d and 26d, two for each player. The squares form targets to be hit with the disks. The first set of disks is made up of at least nine disks of the same diameter, density and thickness. The second set has only three disks of a larger diameter than those of the first group. The larger size of the disks of the second set makes them harder to lodge in the target squares. This is compensated by the fact that a larger disk can remove one of the opponent's disks and take possession of the square. First, the players take turns trying to toss the small disk into the squares. After this phase, they use the larger disks to try to dislodge the opposing player's disks and gain an advantage on him/her.
Unfortunately, all these prior art attempts at making tic-tac-toe interesting and challenging have not been successful. That is, the prior art has been unable to successfully provide a tic-tac-toe game that combines the attributes of skill, luck, and simplicity with rapid play.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a game that provides a player the opportunity to exercise their skill. It is also desirable to provide a game that includes luck to make the game exciting, unpredictable and enjoyable for people of all levels of intelligence.
It is further desirable to provide a game that has simple rules so that new players may learn the game easily, including learning the appropriate strategy for the game.
It is also desirable to provide a game that can be played rapidly so that multiple games can be played between two or more players in a short period of time. It is also desirable to provide a game that can be played between two players, or multiple players in a tournament or round-robin manner.
It is further desirable to provide a game that incorporates the feature of multiplying the game value to further enhances the excitement of the game. It is also desirable to provide a game that permits one player to "bluff" or present the appearance of having a particular advantage over another player.